New Delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday launched the Atal Canteen scheme across the capital on the occasion of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 101st birth anniversary, marking a major step towards providing affordable and nutritious food to workers, the urban poor and vulnerable sections. The initiative was formally inaugurated at Nehru Nagar near Lajpat Nagar, with similar launches held at multiple locations across the city.

The scheme aims to ensure that no one in Delhi goes hungry by offering a full, freshly cooked meal at a nominal price of ₹5. The government plans to set up 100 Atal Canteens across the capital. In the first phase, 45 canteens were inaugurated on Wednesday, while the remaining 55 are scheduled to become operational in a phased manner over the next 15 to 20 days.

Speaking at the launch, the chief minister said the Atal Canteen initiative reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive and sensitive governance, where access to food is treated as a matter of dignity rather than charity. She said the symbolic contribution of ₹5 has been fixed to ensure that beneficiaries receive food with self-respect while also discouraging wastage. She added that the scheme is particularly aimed at daily wage workers, labourers, residents of jhuggi clusters and others who often struggle to afford regular meals during long working hours.

Under the scheme, each Atal Canteen will serve meals twice a day—lunch from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm and dinner from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Every canteen is expected to serve around 1,000 meals daily, enabling the network to provide food to more than one lakh people across Delhi each day. The standard meal includes roti, rice, dal, seasonal vegetables and pickle, with a total portion size of about 600 grams, providing balanced nutrition.

The actual cost of each meal is estimated at ₹30, of which ₹25 will be borne by the Delhi government while the beneficiary pays ₹5. For the operation and management of the scheme, the government has allocated a budget of ₹104.24 crore. The initiative is also expected to generate employment for around 700 people.

To ensure quality and hygiene, all canteens have been equipped with modern kitchens, LPG-based cooking systems and industrial RO water plants. A digital token system, CCTV surveillance and regular audits have been put in place to maintain transparency. Food quality will be periodically tested by FSSAI and NABL-accredited laboratories, along with inspections by the Delhi government’s food safety department.